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Calabashes are used to form a resonant chamber below the keys, in the same manner as those in acoustic guitars or violins. The chambers amplify the sound to a surprisingly high level, allowing xylophones being played in villages several miles away to be heard clearly through the night in Lawra. Calabashes, unlike the similar but larger gourds, grow on a ground creeping plant from the same family as melons and pumpkins. At the end of the growing rainy season in October, Mr Bogrei’s uncle selects suitable sized whole calabashes depending on which key they are to be placed under. He then cuts the top off and pours water into the hollow part. They are then hung to allow the remaining soft flesh inside to rot. The rotten flesh can be easily scooped out leaving the hard outer skin, about 4mm thick. The neck of the calabash is then trimmed to finely tune of the note by adjusting the length of the resonating air column formed from the bottom of the calabash to the underside of the key.